IMPACT ONLINENEWSLETTER

Building a better UTMB

The Moody Medical Library began construction work on Aug. 6 to repair first-floor damage from Hurricane Ike and upgrade the building’s infrastructure systems.

Repairs to the first-floor lobby will use flood-resistant materials and will include closing the atrium opening between the lobby and second floor. The library’s central core also will be rebuilt on the second through fifth floors to make the building more comfortable, energy efficient and user-friendly. The project is scheduled for completion in April 2013.

Part of the upgrade includes creation of a new rare-book vault on the east side of the library’s third floor with high-density storage and a new rare-book reading room visible from the main reading rooms, said Brett Kirkpatrick, associate vice president for academic resources and director of libraries. This area will have separate temperature and humidity controls linked to the university’s emergency power grid to prevent damage to the collections if power is interrupted.

Construction is scheduled to occur mostly at night when the library is closed in order to minimize the impact on library users. Once construction begins, the library plans to post regular signage and website notices indicating where construction will be under way and which areas of the library will be the quietest and most comfortable.